Monday, September 10, 2007

Emma Snowsill Wins In LA

The 13 women who toed the line on Venice Beach Sunday knew the 26 year-old three-time World Champion, Snowsill, was yearning for the top podium spot after she finished runner-up to Portugal's Vanessa Fernandez at last weekend's ITU short-course world championship in Hamburg, Germany.

Dibens continued her solid onslaught at non-drafting races this season exiting the water only seconds behind swim leader, and recently crowned U-23 silver medalist at the ITU world championships, American up-and-comer Jasmine Oeinck. Also in the lead group behind Oeinck were Joanna Zeiger, Rebeccah Wassner, and Amy Marsh.

Onto the 40k-bike down Venice Boulevard, Dibens assumed the role as race leader with Snowsill cycling behind the Brit, biding her time to strike on the run, but perhaps riding to make sure her challenger correctly made the turn onto 6th Street in which numerous athletes missed in the 2006 race and were subsequently disqualified (Snowsill was the only main contender who completed the correct bike course enroute to winning by ten minutes).

Even with Dibens into T2 ahead, Snowsill did not waste time in cutting down the Brit's lead, and took over the race lead for good. By race end, the Aussie superstar broke the tape in 2:00:45 with a comfortable victory margin of two minutes and 48 seconds ahead of runner-up Dibens (2:03:33). Mirinda Carfrae and Wassner battled throughout the morning, running side by side and mowing down competitors throughout the 10k-run, with Carfrae taking the final podium position 21 seconds ahead of Wassner.

With her victory Sunday, Snowsill has given herself a second chance to capture the $60,000 Lifetime Fitness Triathlon Series prize bonus for winning the series and garnering over 39,000 points.